Hundreds Attend First Ever Juneteenth Celebration In Doylestown

Doylestown PA

21 June, 2022

5:39 PM

Description

DOYLESTOWN — "This is an absolutely beautiful sight," said Adrienne King, as she looked across the grounds of the Mercer Museum on Sunday. "To see this all come together is just amazing." King, the president of the Pair-Up Society, joined Kevin Leven and Angela Nutter in opening Doylestown's first ever Juneteenth celebration. Throughout the late morning and well into the afternoon, hundreds turned out for the event, which included a bustling marketplace of African American vendors, live entertainment, words of expression, food and pageantry. "I grew up in Bucks County and now I'm raising my family here. I don't think I have ever seen this many black vendors, businesses and organizations in one location in this part of the county," said King. "That's one of the reasons why it was so important for us to have this here today." Juneteenth commemorates the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved people in the United States learned that they had been freed under the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln. "This day is about the celebration of freedom so sit back, relax and be a part of the day. Be present and be here with us today," King told the gathering. King recalled growing up in Warminster, but having to leave the county to attend church and to experience events that identified with her African culture. "I don't want that for my girls. I want them to remember growing up in Bucks County, in the area where they live and their culture being celebrated as well," said King. "That's why this has been an important day for me, personally, to be a part of as we use Juneteenth to not only celebrate, but to remember, to connect with our ancestors and remember our history. That's where our strength is as a community." Co-organizer Kevin Leven, from the Bucks County Racism Coalition, told the gathering that in delving into black history in Bucks County he discovered that the anti-slavery movement of yesterday is the anti-racist movement of today. "So don't let anyone tell you that anti-racism is bad or out to get you because it's just not true. "This is a day of expression. It's a day of joy and it's a day of jubilee. And that's what we are here to do. We are here to celebrate," said Leven. "Literally thousands of escaped slaves came through Bucks County. Frederick Douglass spoke here. Lucretia Mott spoke here. We have a rich history here and we have a presence here today," he said. "Look around you at all these vendors and all these people, let this be a testament to just how strong our presence in the totality of Bucks County actually is." Angela Nutter, who first broached the idea of a Juneteenth celebration in her town, stood proudly on stage before the gathering. "This has been a mind-blowing experience," she said. "Why Juneteenth? For me, it was very personal. Having grown up here primarily in Doylestown we came from a different situation having grown up with my father where everybody looked like us. When we moved here that was not the case. All the sudden we were different. We did not fit in. We were made to feel like we did not belong in our community, a community where my mother grew up and where her family has been since the inception of Pennsylvania. It was a lonely experience, but thanks to my parents they did their best to make it what they could for us. We had to travel Philadelphia to find people who were like us, who did not make us feel like a pariah in society. We developed an armor to protect us from the experiences here growing up and we made the most of it. "Fast forward to 2021. Juneteenth became a federal holiday. Who would have thought after all these years? It also became recognized by many local municipalities including Doylestown. But to me that wasn't enough. I felt it required more than just a symbolic gesture because this is history. It's not just black history. It's American history. And it's something we all need to learn. So I got together with these two wonderful organizers and we created this event which is absolutely mind-blowing." To mark the occasion, Doylestown Borough Council President Jack O'Brien presented Nutter with a proclamation recognizing Juneteenth and "committing ourselves to the work of equity, equality and injustice." The day also included music by the Gospel Choir of the Second Baptist Church of Doylestown, performances by the Anointed Dancers for Christ Praise Dancers and historical interpretations of Juneteenth. Also featured were children's games, a book mobile chocked full of books on African American history, food trucks, a History of Mt. Gilead Church and a musical performance by Shalom Mukamuri. Attendees were also invited to add their words and pictures to a Juneteenth Freedom canvas that will be on temporary display at the Mercer Museum. The 2022 Juneteenth Celebration was presented by the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle, the Bucks County Anti-Racism Coalition, the Pair-Up Society and the NAACP of Bucks County.